Continuing Education

As a professional society, NAPA recognizes the importance of the continuing educational development of its members. NAPA has a mandatory program of Continuing Education (CE) that affects all NAPA credentialed members who hold a CPFA credential.

Members who have the FSPA or MSPA credential or are Enrolled Retirement Plan Agents (ERPA), and are in good standing with the IRS/JBEA with regard to meeting all required CE requirements for the related credential, are deemed to have satisfied all CE requirements.

NAPA’s CE program is dedicated to helping you stay abreast of developments in the retirement plan arena. CE requirements apply to all members who hold the credentials noted above, regardless of when the credential(s) were awarded.

CE Tracking: Review and Self-Report CE Credits

To view your summary of CE earned and credits remaining for the current CE cycle, visit the CE Tracking webpage. You will be required to log into your account.

Unless otherwise indicated, NAPA will automatically post CE credits earned to a member’s record for any ASPPA, ACOPA, NTSA or NAPA-sponsored educational activity. Please allow 60 days for the CE Tracking form to reflect earned CE credits.

Credit Requirement

Current CE Cycle: January 1, 2015 – December 31, 2016

Credits Required: CPFA: In order to maintain your credential(s), you must earn 20 CE credits this cycle (unless prorated as noted below under Newly Credentialed Members) and in each future two-year cycle. Two (2) of the 20 CE credits must be on ethics/professionalism topics. Members who hold more than one credential only need to meet the highest CE requirement per cycle.

Current Credentialed Members

Credential

CE Requirements

FSPA

Comply with JBEA CE requirements and certify good standing each cycle.

MSPA

Comply with JBEA CE requirements and certify good standing each cycle.

ERPA

Comply with IRS CE requirements and certify good standing each cycle.

CPFA

20 CE credits between January 1, 2015 and December 31, 2016 including 2 credits in Ethics related subjects and compliance with succeeding cycles.

Newly Credentialed Members

For the initial CE cycle in which you earn your credential(s), the number of CE credits required is prorated based on the credential or date of admittance within the two-year CE cycle. The pro-ration schedule is as follows:

Join Date

CE Credit Requirements

Jan. 1 – June 30, 2015

15 CE credits between January 1, 2015 and December 31, 2016 including 2 credits in Ethics related subjects and compliance with succeeding cycles.

July 1 – Dec. 31, 2015

10 CE credits between July 1, 2015 and December 31, 2016 including 1 credit in Ethics related subjects and compliance with succeeding cycles.

Jan. 1 – June 30, 2016

5 CE credits between January 1, 2015 and December 31, 2016 including 1 credit in Ethics related subjects and compliance with succeeding cycles.

Policies & Guidelines

Credit Equivalence: CE credit is based on total minutes of continuing education. One (1) CE credit is equal to 50 minutes of instruction. No qualifying CE event will be less than 50 minutes, and partial NAPA CE credit is allowed for programs that exceed 50 minutes.

Maximum Credit: No single CE event will qualify for more than 25 CE credits (i.e., there is a 25 CE credit maximum per educational event). This limit ensures that each member obtains continuing education from at least two sources every cycle.

CE Acceptable Subject Matter Topics: All continuing education topics that promote an ASPPA, ACOPA, NTSA or NAPA member’s professional development in the retirement field qualify for CE (including non-technical topics such as marketing and advanced IT training). Broad categories include topics such as:

• Qualified Plans

• Nonqualified Plans

• Tax-Exempt & Governmental Plans

• IRAs

• Actuarial Issues

• Investments & Insurance

• Participant Issues

• Business Management, Operations & Development

• Personal Development

• Technology

Non-Compliance

If you do not earn sufficient CE credits during any CE cycle, NAPA will suspend your credential(s) until you have completed the required CE credits in the 24 months prior to applying for reinstatement as a credentialed member. Once reinstated, CE credits will be pro-rated as noted above.